South African police arrest fifth suspect in toddler murders

South African police investigating the rape and murder of two toddlers whose bodies were found in a public toilet arrested a fifth man on Friday, described by local media as the prime suspect in a crime that has shocked the nation.

The mutilated bodies of the girls aged two and three were found in the north Johannesburg township of Diepsloot on Tuesday, three days after they were reported missing.

Four other suspects are already in custody and will appear in court in Pretoria on Friday.

The arrest of the fifth suspect in another Johannesburg township came after police issued an identikit and offered a 100,000 rand ($10,200) reward. He is likely to be appear in court next week.

“He was arrested in Alexandra in the early hours of this morning. He is part of the group suspected of the killings,” police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said.

The killings have shocked South Africa, a nation plagued by some of the world’s highest rates of violent and sexual crime. Residents of Diepsloot went on the rampage after the bodies were discovered, demanding better policing.